Isn't funny what shows end up being memorable? I remember my first time playing in the city; I was expecting a transcendent experience, but it ended up being just another show. The following night, we had our grand homecoming show at a favorite local venue; but that was a drunken mess. The next weekend, we played at some bar in the boonies, feeling defeated ... and it ended up being one of the best shows we ever played.

You never know when that specific confluence of events is going to present itself for that perfect show, but it's always something when it happens in a place you'd never expect. I can't speak for how these guys were feeling in Alaska, but from my perspective, this is one the best shows the post-reunion band ever played.

A lot of shows in the first decade of the 21st century are festival type sets with a tight regimented structure designed to please everyone. This is not one of those sets - they're stretching out and clearly having a good time here. The Yo Baby is one of the coolest versions of the song I've heard with a fantastic out-of-left-field solo from Schenkman and Barron toying with the already loose melody. Moments throughout the set capture the band's elastic tightness. There are clearly some chances taken here; not all of them pay dividends, but none of them detract from the overall unit and they add a sense of urgency and danger to the set.

As others have mentioned, the sound quality is C+ at best - no knock against the taper, who was kind enough to undergo the thankless task and managed to document a very cool show that none of us would have heard otherwise. And, while the sound could be better, you can still hear every instrument clearly - plus, the imperfect nature is more akin to the live experience. There are some live-release quality bootlegs on this site; this has the unique distinction of qualifying as one performance wise, if not audio quality wise.

Glad a couple of you enjoyed this show... It was a fun one.
One reason why the sound quality isn't up to snuff... I think this version was made from 128k MP3's. Two versions went out... A Furthurnet SHN, and the MP3's for a couple of people who didn't have high-speed. I don't recall ever sending out a physical CDR copy of this one.
Yeah, my levels were hot at times... It was impossible... The PA was twice as loud by the end of the show as it was when they started. I remember the distorted areas being FAR worse on the MP3's but I did it anyway... Joy.

I really enjoyed the vibe of the show, the band playing in Alaska at solstice. Well, the sound is not perfect at all, but especially Disc 2 (including "Yo Baby" as an encore! How great is that?!) is very entertaining.
Also, it's interesting to hear some "early" versions of songs the Spin Doctors play regularly by now. Listen to a completely different "Happily Ever After" and an odd yet lovely version of "Margarita".

When listening to this show, two, three or maybe even more laughs are guaranteed. Nice atmosphere!

This is really a fun show. The band is clearly having a great time with the summer in Alaska! Lots of great playing around. Unfortunately the recording could be better. But well worth a listen. I'm delighted that this tape exists.